Last month, I drew your attention to a great title: Working IX to V : Orgy Planners, Funeral Clowns and Other Prized Professions of the Ancient World. (See that earlier item here.) I also mentioned that the author would be appearing on NPR. Now that interview has been posted, along with an excerpt from the book detailing various types of Roman slaves and their extremely specialized responsibilities. My favorite is the triumph slave: "The slave stood behind the triumphant general in his chariot [during the victory parade], holding a heavy, jewel-laden gold crown over the man's head. His other task was much trickier. As the procession moved along amid cheers, the slave whispered wet blanket remarks into the general's ear: 'You're not that great. Look around you and remember you're only a man.'" That doesn't sound hard at all.--David E
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